


The Archive

by dagnas



Category: Borderlands
Genre: F/F, Mixtape, post-claptastic voyage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-26
Updated: 2015-07-26
Packaged: 2018-04-11 10:27:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4431758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dagnas/pseuds/dagnas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A companion piece to my new Jathena mix, The Archive, which can be found here: http://8tracks.com/dagnas/the-archive</p><p>Athena digs up an old relic from her past, and puts it to use as part of a surprise for Springs. </p><p>Featuring matching coffee cups!</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Archive

A quarter to one in the morning in Concordia. Athena heaved the computer console over her shoulder and down on Springs' counter with an unceremonious _*thud*_. It creaked under the weight. Thirty pounds, at least - Hyperion server tech before Jack took over really wasn't up to scratch, but it did have a lot of memory. Checking that the noise hadn't alerted someone upstairs - someone with a thick Elpese accent and abs to die for - Athena felt along the back of the machine to find the access port with aching hands. With a hiss of compressed air, the hard drive popped out. Fiddling with the wires she'd stuffed into her backpack, she connected the access ports to her ECHO recorder, and turned the antique machine on. She turned to make coffee as it clicked and whirred back into life. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

 

When Springs awoke the next afternoon, she saw the computer on the desk and blinked through sleep dust in confusion. Had somebody tried hacking the grinder and left their kit here? Robbers on the moon had a weird way of going about things. A note was posted over the screen:

_Please don't scrap this one saving it just in case._  
_Back soon hope your day is going well -A_

Underneath the note was a drawing of what appeared to be Athena tapping away at the computer, the smart-pen capturing her scribbled purple hair, her eyes and smile lopsided. She was a marvel, but not too good at drawing. Or affectionate missives. Springs chuckled. Athena's fingers were sculpted around a trigger finger; she would give anything to help relax them. Janey picked up the empty coffee cup next to the console, marked with a "A" by the same smart pen and surrounded by a pink heart. Opening their cupboard, she reached out for the cup marked "J" - and found her hand grasping thin air. It was clearly not her morning. Afternoon. Whatever. First fake robbers, now mug thieves? Blimey what next -

'You would not believe how long it took me to find these.'

Athena leaned on the door of the shop. Half from an attempt to look casual instead of exhausted, and half from exhaustion. In her hand was the "J" mug - and in the "J" mug, a loose bundle of flowers. Janey whirled around, dazed from sleep and elated to see the gladiator again, and rushed across the room, her face blushing as she did so. ''Thena!' She froze a few feet from the shorter woman. Almost literally.

'Blimey, girl, where've you been? You're colder than a kraggon's tit' Athena raised her eyebrows at the comparison. Janey reached out and placed an hand on her muscled forearm, covered in goosebumps, and it took a lot of strength for Athena to suppress a sigh of relief.

'I just - well, I thought I'd get you something, for all your help after the H-Source thing.' Athena ran her free hand through purple locks and shook frost from them. 'I knew you liked pink roses, and Nisha told me about a guy who grew them out in the Flats.' She raised her pinky finger and jammed it into her ear, dislodging a piece a snow buried there. Springs chuckled. 'She did not tell me he uses cryo weapon servos to keep them watered, and an army of bandits to guard them. But I'd say it was worth i-'

Springs cupped Athena's face in her warm hands - God, that felt good - and kissed her. Athena's whole body began to warm up to her touch. The junker caught the look of unfiltered joy on her face before she buried it into the lining of Springs' jacket. 'Y'know, you could've just bought me a deep-fried Torgue bar.' She felt Athena's grin against her chest. She really liked those. 'Torgue puts in extra caramel 'cause I send him shrapnel for his guns. He was asking after you on the ECHO the other day. Said to "Keep safe and treat Janey nice! Nothing is more badass than-"' Her horrible Torgue impression was cut off by loud snorts of laughter. Springs hugged Athena closer, muffling her against her jacket.  

'Well, that's not all.' Shaking free, she tentatively took the junker's hand, placing the mug on the counter. 

'When I was in Claptrap's brain, he made me scrap his music collection. And it reminded me of an exploit in Hyperion code they taught us in- in the Lance.' Athena looked at her feet. Janey's encouraging gaze made her regain her composure.

'They keep all kinds of media from human history in their mainframes, in case they need it for propaganda or something.' Springs caught the smallest hint of a smile on the Gladiator's lips. Athena ducked her head again in embarrassment, and Springs leaned down so they were on eye level again. 'Uh, so anyway. I stayed up searching through the archive for, um, songs that I thought you would like. And that's this.' She held out the ECHO recorder that was clipped to her belt. Wrapped around it were two ear pods - once again labelled "J" and "A".

Now it was Janey's turn to look away. It was so simple - a mixtape, a concept she hadn't thought about in relation to courtship in years, Athena's hands were calloused and battle-scarred and hadn't felt love in so long and yet she had used them to make something so full of love for her. For  _us,_ she thought. J plus A.

Crikey. 

Ducking down, Springs hooked an arm around the back of Athena's legs and hoisted her up, delighting in her shocked "Wh-" that escaped her mouth as an almost imperceptible squeak. Janey led her upstairs, into her living room, and settled on the couch, where Springs drew up her own legs and lay down, the gladiator curled up next to her. Athena allowed a sigh to rush from her nose as she took in the smells around her, the surprisingly plush cushions beneath her, the tangled strands of blonde and pink hair scattered across. Home.

'Come on then, let's take a listen.' Springs passed her the bud marked "A" and Athena placed it in her left ear. Janey's hand lingered there, running her thumb along scarred knuckles. Her face suddenly became stern, and Athena's heart stopped.

'But if there's any dubstep, you're sleeping on the couch.'

She snorted again. When they were done listening, she would have to tell that story. 'I wouldn't even dream of it.'


End file.
